Bosnia and Herzegovina
Introduction Bosnia and Herzegovina
-----------------------------------
Background: Bosnia and Herzegovina's declaration
of sovereignty in October 1991, was
followed by a declaration of
independence from the former
Yugoslavia on 3 March 1992 after a
referendum boycotted by ethnic
Serbs. The Bosnian Serbs - supported
by neighboring Serbia and Montenegro
- responded with armed resistance
aimed at partitioning the republic
along ethnic lines and joining Serb-
held areas to form a "greater
Serbia." In March 1994, Bosniaks and
Croats reduced the number of warring
factions from three to two by
signing an agreement creating a
joint Bosniak/Croat Federation of
Bosnia and Herzegovina. On 21
November 1995, in Dayton, Ohio, the
warring parties signed a peace
agreement that brought to a halt the
three years of interethnic civil
strife (the final agreement was
signed in Paris on 14 December
1995). The Dayton Agreement retained
Bosnia and Herzegovina's
international boundaries and created
a joint multi-ethnic and democratic
government. This national government
was charged with conducting foreign,
economic, and fiscal policy. Also
recognized was a second tier of
government comprised of two entities
roughly equal in size: the Bosniak/
Croat Federation of Bosnia and
Herzegovina and the Bosnian Serb-led
Republika Srpska (RS). The
Federation and RS governments were
charged with overseeing internal
functions. In 1995-96, a NATO-led
international peacekeeping force
(IFOR) of 60,000 troops served in
Bosnia to implement and monitor the
military aspects of the agreement.
IFOR was succeeded by a smaller,
NATO-led Stabilization Force (SFOR)
whose mission is to deter renewed
hostilities. SFOR remains in place
at the January 2002 level of
approximately 18,000 troops, though
further reductions may take place
later in the year.
Geography Bosnia and Herzegovina
--------------------------------
Location: Southeastern Europe, bordering the
Adriatic Sea and Croatia
Geographic coordinates: 44 00 N, 18 00 E
Map references: Europe
Area: total: 51,129 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 51,129 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than West Virginia
Land boundaries: total: 1,459 km
border countries: Croatia 932 km,
Yugoslavia 527 km
Coastline: 20 km
Maritime claims: NA
Climate: hot summers and cold winters; areas
of high elevation have short, cool
summers and long, severe winters;
mild, rainy winters along coast
Terrain: mountains and valleys
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
highest point: Maglic 2,386 m
Natural resources: coal, iron, bauxite, manganese,
forests, copper, chromium, lead,
zinc, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 9.8%
permanent crops: 2.94%
other: 87.25% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 20 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: destructive earthquakes
Environment - current issues: air pollution from metallurgical
plants; sites for disposing of urban
waste are limited; water shortages
and destruction of infrastructure
because of the 1992-95 civil strife
Environment - international party to: Air Pollution, Climate
agreements: Change, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
Sea, Marine Life Conservation,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of
the selected agreements
Geography - note: within Bosnia and Herzegovina's
recognized borders, the country is
divided into a joint Bosniak/Croat
Federation (about 51% of the
territory) and the Bosnian Serb-led
Republika Srpska or RS (about 49% of
the territory); the region called
Herzegovina is contiguous to Croatia
and the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia (Montenegro), and
traditionally has been settled by an
ethnic Croat majority in the west
and an ethnic Serb majority in the
east
People Bosnia and Herzegovina
-----------------------------
Population: 3,964,388
note: all data dealing with
population are subject to
considerable error because of the
dislocations caused by military
action and ethnic cleansing (July
2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 19.8% (male 403,391;
female 382,037)
15-64 years: 70.6% (male 1,432,559;
female 1,366,224)
65 years and over: 9.6% (male
161,659; female 218,518) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.76% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 12.76 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 8.1 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: 2.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/
female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/
female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 23.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 72.02 years
female: 74.93 years (2002 est.)
male: 69.3 years
Total fertility rate: 1.71 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.04% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ NA
AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Bosnian(s)
adjective: Bosnian
Ethnic groups: Serb 31%, Bosniak 44%, Croat 17%,
Yugoslav 5.5%, other 2.5% (1991)
note: Bosniak has replaced Muslim as
an ethnic term in part to avoid
confusion with the religious term
Muslim - an adherent of Islam
Religions: Muslim 40%, Orthodox 31%, Roman
Catholic 15%, Protestant 4%, other
10%
Languages: Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian
Literacy: definition: NA
total population: NA%
male: NA%
female: NA%
Government Bosnia and Herzegovina
---------------------------------
Country name: conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Bosnia and
Herzegovina
local long form: none
local short form: Bosna i
Hercegovina
Government type: emerging federal democratic republic
Capital: Sarajevo
Administrative divisions: there are two first-order
administrative divisions and one
internationally supervised district*
- Brcko district (Brcko Distrikt)*,
the Bosniak/Croat Federation of
Bosnia and Herzegovina (Federacija
Bosna i Hercegovina) and the Bosnian
Serb-led Republika Srpska; note -
Brcko district is in northeastern
Bosnia and is an administrative unit
under the sovereignty of Bosnia and
Herzegovina; it is not part of
either Republika Srpska or the
Federation of Bosnia and
Herzegovina; the district remains
under international supervision
Independence: 1 March 1992 (from Yugoslavia;
referendum for independence was
completed 1 March 1992; independence
was declared 3 March 1992)
National holiday: National Day, 25 November (1943)
Constitution: the Dayton Agreement, signed 14
December 1995, included a new
constitution now in force; note -
each of the entities also has its
own constitution
Legal system: based on civil law system
Suffrage: 16 years of age, if employed; 18
years of age, universal
Executive branch: chief of state: Chairman of the
Presidency Beriz BELKIC (chairman
since 14 February 2002, presidency
member since 30 March 2001 -
Bosniak); other members of the
three-member rotating (every eight
months) presidency: Zivko RADISIC
(since 13 October 1998 - Serb) and
Jozo KRIZANOVIC (since 30 March 2001
- Croat)
elections: the three members of the
presidency (one Bosniak, one Croat,
one Serb) are elected by popular
vote for a four-year term; the
member with the most votes becomes
the chairman unless he or she was
the incumbent chairman at the time
of the election, but the
chairmanship rotates every eight
months; election last held 12-13
September 1998 (next to be held NA
October 2002); the chairman of the
Council of Ministers is appointed by
the presidency and confirmed by the
National House of Representatives
head of government: Chairman of the
Council of Ministers Dragan
MIKEREVIC (since 15 March 2002),
position rotates every eight months
cabinet: Council of Ministers
nominated by the council chairman;
approved by the National House of
Representatives
election results: percent of vote -
Zivko RADISIC with 52% of the Serb
vote was elected chairman of the
collective presidency for the first
eight months; Ante JELAVIC with 52%
of the Croat vote followed RADISIC
in the rotation; Alija IZETBEGOVIC
with 87% of the Bosniak vote won the
highest number of votes in the
election but was ineligible to serve
a second term until RADISIC and
JELAVIC had each served a first term
as Chairman of the Presidency;
IZETBEGOVIC retired from the
presidency 14 October 2000 and was
replaced first temporarily by Halid
GENJAC and subsequently by Beriz
BELKIC; Ante JELAVIC was replaced by
Jozo KRIZANOVIC in March 2001 when
the High Representative barred him
from public office
note: President of the Federation of
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Safet
HALILOVIC (since 1 January 2002);
Vice President Karlo FILIPOVIC
(since 1 January 2002); note -
president and vice president rotate
every year; President of the
Republika Srpska: Mirko SAROVIC
(since 11 November 2000); Vice
President of the Republika Srpska:
Dragan CAVIZ (since NA)
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliamentary Assembly or
Skupstina consists of the National
House of Representatives or
Predstavnicki Dom (42 seats - 14
Serb, 14 Croat, and 14 Bosniak;
members elected by popular vote to
serve four-year terms) and the House
of Peoples or Dom Naroda (15 seats -
5 Bosniak, 5 Croat, 5 Serb; members
elected by the Bosniak/Croat
Federation's House of
Representatives and the Republika
Srpska's National Assembly to serve
four-year terms); note - Bosnia's
election law specifies four-year
terms for the state and first-order
administrative division entity
legislatures; officials elected in
2000 and previously were elected to
two-year terms on the presumption
that a permanent law would be in
place before 2002
election results: National House of
Representatives - percent of vote by
party/coalition - SDP 22%, SDA 20%,
SDS 15%, HDZ-BiH 12%, SBH 12%, PDP
5%, NHI 2%, BPS 2%, DPS 2%, SNS 2%
SNSD-DSP 2%, DNZ 2%, SPRS 2%; seats
by party/coalition - SDP 9, SDA 8,
SDS 6, HDZ-BiH 5, SBH 5, PDP 2, NHI
1, BPS 1, DPS 1, SNS 1, SNSD-DSP 1,
DNZ 1, SPRS 1; House of Peoples -
percent of vote by party/coalition -
NA%; seats by party/coalition - NA
elections: National House of
Representatives - elections last
held 11 November 2000 (next to be
held in NA October 2002); House of
Peoples - last constituted after the
11 November 2000 elections (next to
be constituted in the fall of 2002)
note: the Bosniak/Croat Federation
has a bicameral legislature that
consists of a House of
Representatives (140 seats; members
elected by popular vote to serve
four-year terms); elections last
held 11 November 2000 (next to be
held NA October 2002); percent of
vote by party - NA%; seats by party/
coalition - SDA 38, SDP 37, HDZ-BiH
25, SBH 21, DNZ 3, NHI 2, BPS 2, DPS
2, BOSS 2, GDS 1, RP 1, HSS 1, LDS
1, Pensioners' Party of FBiH 1,
SNSD-DSP 1, HKDU 1, HSP 1; and a
House of Peoples (74 seats - 30
Bosniak, 30 Croat, and 14 others);
last constituted November 2000; the
Republika Srpska has a National
Assembly (83 seats; members elected
by popular vote to serve four-year
terms); elections last held 11
November 2000 (next to be held in
the fall of 2002); percent of vote
by party - NA%; seats by party/
coalition - SDS 31, PDP 11, SNSD 11,
SDA 6, DSP 4, SDP 4, SPRS 4, SBH 4,
DNS 3, SNS 2, NHI 1, DSRS 1,
Pensioners' Party 1; Bosnia's
election law specifies four-year
terms for the state and first-order
administrative division entity
legislatures; officials elected in
2000 and prior were elected to two-
year terms on the presumption that a
permanent law would be in place
before 2002
Judicial branch: BiH Constitutional Court (consists
of nine members: four members are
selected by the Bosniak/Croat
Federation's House of
Representatives, two members by the
Republika Srpska's National
Assembly, and three non-Bosnian
members by the president of the
European Court of Human Rights)
note: a new state court, mandated in
November 2000, has jurisdiction over
cases related to state-level law and
appellate jurisdiction over cases
initiated in the entities; the
entities each have a Supreme Court;
each entity also has a number of
lower courts; there are 10 cantonal
courts in the Federation, plus a
number of municipal courts; the
Republika Srpska has five municipal
courts
Political parties and leaders: Bosnian Party or BOSS [Mirnes
AJANOVIC]; Bosnian Patriotic Party
or BPS [Sefer HALILOVIC]; Civic
Democratic Party of BiH or GDS
[Ibrahim SPAHIC]; Croat Christian
Democratic Union or HKDU BiH [Ante
PASALIC]; Croatian Democratic Union
of BiH or HDZ-BiH [Ante JELAVIC;
note - not recognized by the
international community]; Croatian
Party of Rights of BiH or HSP-BiH
[Zdravko HRSTIC]; Croatian Peasants
Party of BiH or HSS-BiH [Ilija
SIMIC]; Democratic National Alliance
or DNS [Dragan KOSTIC]; Democratic
Party of Pensioners or DPS [Alojz
KNEZOVIC]; Democratic Party of RS or
DSRS [Dragomir DUMIC]; Democratic
Peoples Union or DNZ [Fikret ABDIC];
Democratic Socialist Party or DSP
[Nebojsa RADMANOVIC]; Liberal
Democratic Party or LDS [Rasim
KADIC]; New Croatian Initiative or
NHI [Kresimir ZUBAK]; Party for
Bosnia and Herzegovina or SBH [Safet
HALILOVIC]; Party of Democratic
Action or SDA [Sulejman TIHIC];
Party of Democratic Progress or PDP
[Mladen IVANIC]; Party of
Independent Social Democrats or SNSD
[Milorad DODIK]; Pensioners' Party
of FBiH [Husein VOJNIKOVIC];
Pensioners' Party of SR [Stojan
BOGOSAVAC]; People's Party-Working
for Progress or NS-RZB [Mladen
IVANKOVIC]; Republican Party of BiH
or RP [Stjepan KLJUIC]; Serb
Democratic Party or SDS [Dragan
KALINIC]; Serb National Alliance
(Serb People's Alliance) or SNS
[Branislav LULIC]; Social Democratic
Party of BIH or SDP-BiH [Zlatko
LAGUMDZIJA]; Socialist Party of
Republika Srpska or SPRS [Zivko
RADISIC]
Political pressure groups and NA
leaders:
International organization BIS, CE (guest), CEI, EBRD, ECE,
participation: FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO,
ITU, NAM (guest), OAS (observer),
OIC (observer), OPCW, OSCE, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
(observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Igor
DAVIDOVIC
chancery: 2109 E Street NW,
Washington, DC 20037
telephone: [1] (202) 337-1500
consulate(s) general: New York
FAX: [1] (202) 337-1502
Diplomatic representation from the chief of mission: Ambassador
US: Clifford J. BOND
embassy: Alipasina 43, 71000
Sarajevo
mailing address: use street address
telephone: [387] (33) 445-700
FAX: [387] (33) 659-722
branch office(s): Banja Luka, Mostar
Flag description: a wide medium blue vertical band on
the fly side with a yellow isosceles
triangle abutting the band and the
top of the flag; the remainder of
the flag is medium blue with seven
full five-pointed white stars and
two half stars top and bottom along
the hypotenuse of the triangle
Government - note: The Dayton Agreement, signed in
Paris on 14 December 1995, retained
Bosnia and Herzegovina's exterior
border and created a joint multi-
ethnic and democratic government.
This national government - based on
proportional representation similar
to that which existed in the former
socialist regime - is charged with
conducting foreign, economic, and
fiscal policy. The Dayton Agreement
also recognized a second tier of
government, comprised of two
entities - a joint Bosniak/Croat
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
and the Bosnian Serb Republika
Srpska (RS) - each presiding over
roughly one-half the territory. The
Federation and RS governments are
charged with overseeing internal
functions. The Bosniak/Croat
Federation is further divided into
10 cantons. The Dayton Agreement
established the Office of the High
Representative (OHR) to oversee the
implementation of the civilian
aspects of the agreement. About 250
international and 450 local staff
members are employed by the OHR.
Economy Bosnia and Herzegovina
------------------------------
Economy - overview: Bosnia and Herzegovina ranked next
to The Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia as the poorest republic in
the old Yugoslav federation.
Although agriculture is almost all
in private hands, farms are small
and inefficient, and the republic
traditionally is a net importer of
food. Industry has been greatly
overstaffed, one reflection of the
socialist economic structure of
Yugoslavia. TITO had pushed the
development of military industries
in the republic with the result that
Bosnia hosted a large share of
Yugoslavia's defense plants. The
bitter interethnic warfare in Bosnia
caused production to plummet by 80%
from 1990 to 1995, unemployment to
soar, and human misery to multiply.
With an uneasy peace in place,
output recovered in 1996-99 at high
percentage rates from a low base;
but output growth slowed in 2000 and
2001. GDP remains far below the 1990
level. Economic data are of limited
use because, although both entities
issue figures, national-level
statistics are limited. Moreover,
official data do not capture the
large share of activity that occurs
on the black market. The marka - the
national currency introduced in 1998
- is now pegged to the euro, and the
Central Bank of Bosnia and
Herzegovina has dramatically
increased its reserve holdings.
Implementation of privatization,
however, has been slow, and local
entities only reluctantly support
national-level institutions. Banking
reform accelerated in 2001 as all
the communist-era payments bureaus
were shut down. The country receives
substantial amounts of
reconstruction assistance and
humanitarian aid from the
international community but will
have to prepare for an era of
declining assistance.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $7 billion
(2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 6% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,800
(2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 16%
industry: 28%
services: 56% (1998 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: NA%
percentage share: highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 1.026 million
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture NA%, industry NA%,
services NA%
Unemployment rate: 40% (2001 est.)
Budget: revenues: $1.9 billion
expenditures: $2.2 billion,
including capital expenditures of
$NA (1999 est.)
Industries: steel, coal, iron ore, lead, zinc,
manganese, bauxite, vehicle
assembly, textiles, tobacco
products, wooden furniture, tank and
aircraft assembly, domestic
appliances, oil refining
Industrial production growth rate: 9% (2001 est.)
Electricity - production: 2.615 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 37.67%
hydro: 62.33%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 2.577 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 205 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 350 million kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: wheat, corn, fruits, vegetables;
livestock
Exports: $1.1 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Exports - commodities: miscellaneous manufactures, crude
materials
Exports - partners: Croatia, Switzerland, Italy, Germany
Imports: $3.1 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment,
industrial products, foodstuffs
Imports - partners: Croatia, Slovenia, Germany, Italy
Debt - external: $2.8 billion (2001)
Economic aid - recipient: $650 million (2001 est.)
Currency: marka (BAM)
Currency code: BAM
Exchange rates: marka per US dollar - 2.161 (October
2001), 2.124 (2000), 1.837 (1999),
1.760 (1998), 1.734 (1997)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Bosnia and Herzegovina
-------------------------------------
Telephones - main lines in use: 303,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 9,000 (1997)
Telephone system: general assessment: telephone and
telegraph network needs
modernization and expansion; many
urban areas are below average as
contrasted with services in other
former Yugoslav republics
domestic: NA
international: no satellite earth
stations
Radio broadcast stations: AM 8, FM 16, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios: 940,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 33 (plus 277 repeaters) (September
1995)
Televisions: NA
Internet country code: .ba
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 3 (2000)
Internet users: 3,500 (2000)
Transportation Bosnia and Herzegovina
-------------------------------------
Railways: total: 1,021 km (795 km electrified;
operating as diesel or steam until
grids are repaired)
standard gauge: 1,021 km 1.435-
m gauge; note - many segments still
need repair and/or reconstruction
because of war damage (2000 est.)
Highways: total: 21,846 km
paved: 14,020 km
note: road system is in need of
maintenance and repair (2001)
unpaved: 7,826 km
Waterways: NA km; large sections of the Sava
blocked by downed bridges, silt, and
debris
Pipelines: crude oil 174 km; natural gas 90 km
(1992)
Ports and harbors: Bosanska Gradiska, Bosanski Brod,
Bosanski Samac, and Brcko (all
inland waterway ports on the Sava),
Orasje
Merchant marine: none (2002 est.)
Airports: 27 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 8
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 3 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 19
under 914 m: 11 (2001)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 7
Heliports: 5 (2001)
Military Bosnia and Herzegovina
-------------------------------
Military branches: VF Army (the air and air defense
forces are subordinate commands
within the Army), VRS Army (the air
and air defense forces are
subordinate commands within the
Army)
Military manpower - military age: 19 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 1,131,537 (2002
est.)
Military manpower - fit for military males age 15-49: 898,117 (2002 est.)
service:
Military manpower - reaching males: 29,757 (2002 est.)
military age annually:
Military expenditures - dollar $NA
figure:
Military expenditures - percent of NA%
GDP:
Transnational Issues Bosnia and Herzegovina
-------------------------------------------
Disputes - international: Bosnia and Herzegovina and
Yugoslavia have delimited about half
of their boundary, but several
segments, particularly along the
meandering Drina River, remain in
dispute; discussions continue with
Croatia on the disputed boundary in
the Una River near Kostajnica,
Hrvatska Dubica, and Zeljava;
protests Croatian claim to the tip
of the Klek Peninsula and several
islands near Neum
Illicit drugs: minor transit point for marijuana
and opiate trafficking routes to
Western Europe